


The Boy Who Lived Is A Very Smart Hufflepuff.

by lovely_roses



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Boy-Who-Lived Harry Potter, Developing Relationship, Fanon, Father-Son Relationship, Female Friendship, Gryffindor, Hermione Granger is a Good Friend, Hermione is Mixed, Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff Harry Potter, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Other, Pre-Relationship, Prologue, Ravenclaw, Sirius Black Never Went to Azkaban, Slytherin, Work In Progress, older brother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:47:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25825369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovely_roses/pseuds/lovely_roses
Summary: When He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named targets the Potter family, Lily, James, and their two sons must go into hiding in Godric's Hollow. Follow Harry Potter and his older brother Michael as they take Hogwarts by storm by flipping tradition on it's head, and proving that big brothers do know best.Harry & Michael are Raised by Sirius Black & Remus Lupin, AU Sirius Black never goes to Azkaban, AU Harry Potter has an older brother, FANON Hermione Granger is black, AU Cedric Diggory doesn't die, AU LGBT characters.THERE WILL BE NO SMUT IN THIS STORY. (sorry?)
Relationships: Neville Longbottom/Harry Potter, OMC & Harry Potter, OMC & Remus Lupin, OMC & Sirius Black, OMC/Cedric Diggory, Remus Lupin & Harry Potter, Sirius Black & Harry Potter
Comments: 18
Kudos: 83





	1. The Beginning (Part One)

**Author's Note:**

> This work was inspired by a reddit post in r/HPfanfiction by user bbaral05! 
> 
> 'Harry has an older brother, a prodigy comparable to the likes of Dumbledore and Tom Riddle, but he is fanatically devoted and loyal to Harry Potter, and keeps helping and hyping the BWL.'
> 
> As this is my first posted work, I would very much appreciate feedback! Your criticism is very important to me, as I just want to deliver the best content I can! :) I'm going to be trying to put up one chapter a week on MONDAY's! I'm starting school back soon and i'm taking some very advanced courses, so too much work could be detrimental. 
> 
> This story will start off with a teen rating, but if I feel the rating needs to be bumped up, it will be. Happy Reading!
> 
> I am Not J.K Rowling. (thank god.) I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters. I am making no money based off of this work.

Godric’s Hollow, October 31st, 1981

Michael Charlus Potter had always been a very smart child. He could read all his picture books by himself, he knew how to spell very tricky words, like purple, and dove, and at the age of three he could understand what his Mommy and Daddy meant when they said they were hiding from a very bad man, who wanted his sweet baby brother. 

Their family had been perfect. His mother, Lily Potter, was loving, and encouraged each and every question he had ever had, including ones about the bad man.

“Momma, why does the bad man want us?” Michael had asked a few weeks earlier, with all the innocent curiosity a toddler could have.

“Well..” Lily, while encouraging of her son and his interest, was unsure how to properly explain their situation to her young son.

“Your brother, Harry, is very special Michael…” Lily continued, making sure to choose her words carefully.

“The Bad Man thinks that Harry could make him go away, so he wants to take Harry away from us.”

“Oh...ok, Momma. Would you please help me with my blocks?”

Later that night, Lily would place her head on James’ chest, and a single tear would fall down her cheek. She couldn’t help but feel that something very horrible was going to happen, and soon.

One day, roughly two weeks later, James would pull Michael into his lap while sitting in the rocking chair in the Nursery.

“Micha, I have something very important to tell you…” James began, using his nickname for the toddler, hiding his discomfort and anxiety through his trademark cheeky grin. Michael laughed at his Dad’s antics, and playfully grabbed at the faded graphic tee his Daddy wore.

“One day, you’re going to have to take very good care of Harry. You’re both very special…” James moved a hand to cradle the toddler’s small, chubby cheek, his grin softening as he looked at one of the boys he loved.

“And you’re both very, very, smart…”

Michael laughed, and nodded his agreement. 

“And you’re both very….very...STINKY!”

James began to tickle Michael at his sides, holding him carefully so he wouldn’t fall, as the toddler dissolved into a fit of giggles. That would be one of the few things Michael would be able to remember about his father when he was older.

Michael had always been a good listener, and his Momma was very proud of him whenever he listened well, so, when James Potter had told his son it was time to play hide’n’seek, the toddler had hidden very sneakily, just like his Daddy had practiced with him in the months before. 

When James Potter fell, dead, at Lord Voldemort’s feet, Michael had already hidden himself in the depths of the cupboard beneath the stairs, pushing a box of Christmas lights in front of him. A terrifying explosion wracked the small home, shaking the walls, and causing dust to drift from the cupboard ceiling onto Michael’s fiery, ginger hair. A piercing wail struck the air, coming from the second floor, inside of the nursery, where Harry, Michael’s baby brother had been sleeping. Michael had waited very patiently, just like his Momma told him to do, until he was absolutely sure that the strange, other man, was gone. 

When he emerged from his hiding space to find his Daddy laying on the floor, he listened to what he had been told, and stayed far away. Michael avoided the fallen rafters littering the living room floor, and was careful to not go near anything that looked like it could hurt him. When he managed to make his way to the staircase, he began to climb, having to avoid the fourth step that had caved in when the explosion occurred. As Michael climbed up onto the last step, the nursery came into view. The pale, sky blue door had been blown off its hinges, and now laid haphazardly against a large bookshelf that had been filled with various, now destroyed, knickknacks. 

The hazel eyed toddler approached the nursery quietly, just in case the strange man wasn’t truly gone. As he entered the room fully he could see his mother, Lily Potter, splayed out on the floor above the rug. Seeing that she wasn’t waking up, Michael went to the crib, and attempted to squeeze his small hands between the bars. 

Harry James Potter, the baby that had been crying just a minute beforehand, stopped as soon as Michael came into view. He reached out, trying to grab his brother’s hand, giggling happily. Michael grinned at the baby, and managed to pop his hand between the bars, gently grabbing Harry’s hand. A sudden, shaking roar came from outside, and as Michael looked up, he could see a large, flying, black motorbike quickly approaching the house. The bike came to a screeching halt in the front garden, running over some of the small shrubbery Lily had planted last year when the Potters had moved in. 

Sirius Black hopped off the bike, throwing his helmet to the ground carelessly as he ran inside. The front door slammed open, and the sight that greeted Sirius first was James Potter, collapsed on the living room floor. He let out a choked sob, hand coming up to clutch at his chest. Sirius made to approach the body, but was able to think clearly enough to remember why he was here. Harry and Michael. Just twenty minutes prior, a letter had been delivered to him from Gringotts, in James Potters’ familiar scrawl. Sirius had rushed to take the letter, and collapsed in his favorite armchair to begin reading.

‘Sirius,’ the letter began, and deep in the back of his mind, Sirius was already sure of what the letter was about to tell him.

‘I’m writing this letter on Harry’s first birthday, you just left the house maybe a half hour ago. Thank you again for the gifts, it’s not as if the boys are spoiled enough as it is. You and Remus just encourage their absolutely atrocious behavior.’

‘I'm joking, obviously. You and Remus are good men, Sirius. I know you don’t listen to me, but you’re a good man. I trust you. You’re my brother. Which is why if something happens to me and Lily, I need you to take care of them. My boys, Bambi, and our little Doe.‘

‘Being a godfather is just a superficial title in the legal world. So, as well as being their godfather, you are our first choice of raising the boys in case something happens. Even if you corrupt my sons, I know you’ll love them with all your heart. And, if we’re being honest...we both would’ve corrupted my sons together, and any future children me and Lils have.’

‘I’m letting Lily read over my shoulder as I write, and she just sighed and cuffed my head. I don’t think I'm doing a very good job at this, haha.’

‘I’ve drafted up my will through Gringotts, and the Goblins have assured me that you will legally be their Guardian. They have also been made aware of who the secret keeper is. I don’t believe Peter would ever willingly betray us, but I've been told I need to prepare for any outcome that is possible.’

‘I want you to raise the boys with Remus if you can. He needs structure, and love. If we’re gone, who will remind him he needs to eat something other than chocolate? Ow. Lily cuffed me again. Maybe if only I drop dead, you should tell the Aurors that Lily finally killed me.’

‘I’d very much like for Remus to continue tutoring Michael, and when Harry is old enough, begin tutoring him too. I don't need my kids taking too much after me, and Remus is a good influence. Right now Michael’s got Harry sitting with him on the couch toy, and they’re playing with the plush Remus gave them last Christmas. Harry’s actually got his floating up in the air.’

‘As well as leaving my boys to you, I've left both you and Remus some of the Potter gold to raise them with. Kinda like Muggle child support, Lily says. If you end up not using it, put it back in the vault for the boys. I’ve also left you one of the Potter estates, the one up near Cannes that we went to in sixth year. Do you remember those witches we saw on the beach? French girls really are-’

‘Ok, Lily isn’t letting me continue that train of thought. Says I'm being disrespectful, and yeah, she’s right. Still leaving it in to protect my artistic integrity.’

‘To sum up what i’m trying to say, I think you would be a good surrogate dad….a ‘dadfoot’ if you will. Take care of them for me, Siri.’

Sirius continued his mad rush, climbing up the stairs two by two, before a familiar howl stopped him. Trapped under a fallen beam was Callisto, the Potters two year old ginger cat.

“Shit, hang on Callisto, I've got you little buddy..”

Sirius pried up the beam, and managed to scoop up Callisto, clutching the shaking cat to his chest. He fell into the habit of stroking the cat underneath his chin as he continued up the stairs. He hadn’t even hit the top step when he saw the damage to the nursery. A dark, heavy feeling sank to the pit of his stomach as he rushed into the room. The moonlight from the open wall framed Lily Potter’s body as if she was an angel. Her long, fiery red hair was tangled, and matted from the bits of insulation that had been sprayed at her in the explosion. Her once lively, pink flushed skin was a deathly pale, and her well known emerald eyes had dulled. Before Sirius could process that Lily was dead too, the voice of one of his godsons called him out of his reverie.

“Siri? I can’t get to Harry..”

Michael, the small ginger haired toddler, was being unusually expressionless. His hazel eyes, so much like James’, were darkened. Sirius went to the boy, dropping to the ground on his knees and pressing him against his chest.

“Michael, i’m so sorry. I'm so sorry little Bambi. I’ll get Harry out for you, okay?”

It took all the strength Sirius had left to not just clutch his godson and cry. His whole world had come apart in a matter of minutes. His brother had died in a cruel, disgusting manner, and so had Lily, who had always been so kind, even when James and him had been teen brats in school. All that was left of their lives, their legacy, stood before him, too young to truly understand what had happened. 

Sirius reluctantly let go of Michael, as if subconsciously he was terrified that by letting go, the young toddler would be gone too. He rearranged Callisto so the now sleeping cat would be secured inside of his jacket, before reaching down and gently picking up Harry, cradling the baby to his chest.

“Michael I want you to listen to me carefully-” Sirius knelt so that he was almost at level with the ginger boy, maneuvering Harry so he could continue to cradle him with one hand, the other hand holding onto Michael’s small shoulder.

“We’re going to go take a ride on my bike now, okay? And we might not come back for a while. I’m going to take you to your room in a minute, and we’re going to grab some of your things, and then you’ll come stay with me and Uncle Remy. Okay, Bambi?”

“Ok, Uncle Siri”

The toddler nodded his assent, and when Sirius stood up and offered his hand, Michael took it, following Sirius to the relatively unscathed bedroom that soon would no longer be his. The nursery had been too destroyed to properly sort through Harry’s belongings, besides the small Stag plush Remus had given to Harry the previous Christmas. Gathering Michael's things was a short affair, as Sirius had no intent of staying in the home longer than necessary. Armed with a transfigured tote bag of Michael’s clothing, as well as the Stag plush and the matching Doe plush that had been gifted to Michael, Sirius and the children made their way outside to the motorbike, Sirius being careful to guide Michael around the fallen beams and debris in the living room. The dark haired man helped Michael climb into the side car, setting the tote bag between his small feet.

“Do you think you can carry your brother for me, little man?”

“Mhm!”

Michael reached out, and Sirius placed the baby in his arms, watching as Michael held Harry close to him, running his small thumb against Harry’s hand, cooing nonsense noises to soothe the baby, who had begun to grow restless. Double checking that Callisto was still safely secured within his jacket, Sirius straddled his bike, placing his hands on the bars. He gave one last long look towards the home. Where there once had been love, and warmth, there was a ruined mess, cold and devoid of the comfort and safety that had bathed the house in the weeks prior. Sirius kicked the kickstand up with the toe of his boot, and the bike came to life, carrying the family safe into the air, marking the start of something new, and scary.

For several minutes the air remained still at the house, save for the sounds of crickets chirping in the night. Only a person with an intent to find something amiss would have heard the faint crack of apparition, or have been able to see the dark, solitary figure of a young man. 

Severus Snape entered the Potter home with no thought to its occupants. His Lord had informed him that tonight he would target the Potters, and it seemed that his Lord was not wrong. Cold, obsidian eyes glared disdainfully towards the lifeless body of James Potter. Severus could find no true guilt or outrage toward the man’s sacrifice, he had simply gotten in the way. Sometimes, pawns needed to die. It was the other adult occupant of the house that he was here for...Lily Evans. She could never truly be Lily Potter to him. It was beyond obvious that someone had to have confounded the girl, otherwise she would not have been so happy with the miserable, shallow, Potter git. A short investigation of the first floor of the Potter residence revealed nothing useful to the man, so he continued his search upstairs. Severus sneered at the sight of the rather tacky blue door, but stopped cold when he saw her. Lily, his one true love, was dead upon the floor, like some thief, or some vandal. Like Potter. He rushed to her, paying no mind to the crib besides her. He dropped to his knees beside her and wailed, crying out to whoever would listen. Thin, sallow hands gripped her shoulders and dragged her up against him, her head lolling back against his shoulder in some perverse scene of mourning. 

His shoulder shook with the might of his sobs, as he continued to clutch at the dead girl. Why would anyone allow this fate to be handed to him. To have to see his Lily, stolen from him and married off like some common whore the minute she graduated Hogwarts, and then knocked up three months later with Potters revolting spawn. She had belonged to him in childhood, and he had structured his whole being around her. His Lord had promised him she would be spared, but it seemed that Severus’ fear of her being killed anyways had come true. He sat there for quite some time, lamenting her death, until several voices began to come from outside of the home.

“Albus we need to send for the Aurors…”

“I can’t believe my eyes, their home...it’s been destroyed!”

“I’ve sent off a Patronus...help should arrive within the minute.”

Not wishing to be caught at the scene, Severus placed his first, and last, kiss to the forehead of Lily Potter, and apparated away into the night.


	2. The Beginning (Part Two)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! New chapter up today :) I've been a very busy bee lately.  
> Seeing a 1 in my inbox makes me so happy! Please leave a comment, they inspire me so much.

Somewhere in Herefordshire, early morning, November 1st

Remus Lupin had never been a normal man. He had been kind, he had always been patient, he had always been generous, but he had never been normal. To any normal passerby, you wouldn't have been able to tell there was anything truly wrong with him. Yes, he wore shabby clothes, and yes, he did eat too much chocolate to be as thin as he was, but there wasn't anything abnormal about him.

His friends however knew the truth. Remus Lupin could never be normal. How could you when you enjoyed reading more than roughhousing? Or a nice cup of herbal tea over a hearty serving of Ogden's Finest? 

His friends might have been the only redeeming quality about him, Remus often thought. As an adult werewolf living in the magical world, he had no employment opportunities. There had been rumors in the nearby packs that someone had been working on a potion to at least lessen their ailments, but to society, wolves could not be trusted. And therefore, Remus felt he could not be trusted. He loved his friends, and he loved James's son's more than he could ever describe, but deep down in his heart, he felt that they would never really be safe from him. 

How does one convince someone who has always thought of themself as a monster that they are so much more? That they could never be a monster? Sirius had tried for quite some time, spending time with Remus, showering him in gifts,and staying up late to talk to him when the moon was almost full. However, it appeared as though his efforts were in vain. The man only ever felt right, or whole, near the boys.

Michael, and later Harry, had stolen Remus’ heart from the beginning. They were the epitome of pure. To him, these children could do no wrong. Remus would cross the ends of the Earth for them. They were a firm part of his pack. But, nothing could have prepared him to see the dishevelled state of his friend, lugging two small children through the front door of Remus’ cottage. Sirius Black, a man who had always prided himself on his looks and state of dress, was an absolute wreck. His normally clean, if not dazzling wind swept hair was lank, and tangled. His clothes had small rips in them, from moving aside pieces of splintered furniture and fallen wooden beams from inside of the Potter-Evans cottage The boys did not look much better; Michael’s pajamas were stained with dust and dirt, and he had a minor scrape on the back of his hand. What was most curious, was the lightning bolt scar on Harry’s forehead. The infant was sound asleep in Sirius’ arms, seeming none the wiser to the commotion around him.

Remus ushered the group in quickly, locking the door behind them as he tried to quell the ferocious anxiety rising inside of him. His stomach had become a dark pit of turbulence, the dread settling in and crushing his chest. One look at the expression on Sirius’ face confirmed his worst fear.

Lily and James had died.

Remus’ Cottage, An Hour Later

Sirius had put the boys to bed twenty minutes prior, having set Michael up in Remus’ bed, and transfiguring a simple crib for Harry. The two men now sat opposite of each other on the couch, their bodies turned towards one another. The fire was slowly dying down, small embers rising up in the air just to drift back down onto the rug in front of the fireplace. Remus was the first to speak.

“Would you like to inform me of what’s happened, or am I going to have to pull teeth, Sirius?’

Silently, Sirius handed him the letter from James, it didn’t take long for Remus to finish reading. 

“You can’t seriously expect me to raise them with you, can you Sirius?”

“Afraid I don’t know what you mean.”  
“I’m a bloody freak, Sirius. You can’t put vulnerable children in my care. What happens if I bite them?”

Remus stood up from the couch, seething. But it wasn’t just anger he was feeling, there was also fear. There was no way he could be a suitable father figure to two small boys. He was already inadequate for his friends, all he would do was ruin the children. When they grew older, they would resent him for his heritage.The rational part of him screamed he was being selfish, that Lily and James wanted him to be there for their sons, but the scared man inside of him pleaded for some way of escape.

“Don’t be silly Remus. You won’t bite them.” 

Sirius was devoid of tone as he spoke, staring blankly into the fireplace. He wanted to huddle up somewhere and cry. To let out this immense grief he was feeling. He had never felt this type of pain in his life. 

“And who are you to say I won’t? I’m not doing this Sirius, you can take the boys and raise them yourself, they’d live a much better life without my interference.”

“Enough, Remus.”

“No, it’s not enough! I refuse to go along with this! You can’t drag me along with you just to spare my feelings-”

“I said ENOUGH, Remus.”

Sirius rose up from the couch, quickly becoming infuriated with the man standing in front of him.

“Now. You will go with us, and that will be final. And for the record, I don’t think you're a freak. You’ve hidden behind your condition for too long.”

Remus had begun to tear up, his face flushing an embarrassing pink for being reprimanded like a child.

“You can’t speak to me like that, Sirius.”

“At this rate i’ll speak to you however you’d like! You won’t let me get a word in anyways!”

“If you don’t stop yelling, you’ll wake the children, Sirius.”

The black haired man let out an irritated sigh and cast a silencing charm on the room so their argument wouldn’t wake the children. Remus had slumped back down on the couch, and was running a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. Sirius was the one to continue the conversation, as he sat down next to the other, and placed a hand on Remus’ knee.

“You’re a part of our world, Moony. We can’t just leave you behind. The boys need you.”

Sirius’ other hand reached out and cupped Remus’ chin, directing the man to look back at him.

“I need you.”

Remus rolled his eyes and gently pushed away at Sirius’ hand. 

“You can’t seriously expect for me to be a good role model for them, Padfoot.”

“But I do. You’re so smart Moony. I couldn’t even begin to raise them by myself. The kids would become ruffians. I couldn’t do that to Lily.”

“I’m just scared, Sirius. I love them so much.”

Remus had started to shake, his nerves taking over. He let himself be pulled into Sirius’ arms, as the black haired man hugged him tightly against his chest.

“I am too. But it’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna take the kids to the Potter estate in Cannes, and we’re gonna be the best we can be for them. You’re a good man, Remus.”

Remus nodded, still being embraced by Sirius. The pair went quiet, staring into the fireplace while thinking to themselves. When Michael crawled out of bed a few hours later, he would find Sirius and Remus still sitting on the couch, asleep in each other’s arms. 

When the new formed family got up the following morning, they would leave for Cannes, France, and begin a new life, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That officially concludes the beginning of our story! So, now we have a sense of the dynamic between Siri & Remy, and their motivations! Please leave a comment or some feedback if you enjoyed it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN IMPORTANT NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR  
> In this fic, Cho Chang will be the SAME age as Michael, therefore in her third year, instead of second year in this fic. 
> 
> CHARACTER'S BIRTHDAYS:   
> Cedric Diggory- March 18th, 1978. He is in his THIRD Year. He began Hogwarts in 1989.  
> Cho Chang: May 6th, 1978. She is in her THIRD Year. She began Hogwarts in 1989.  
> Fred and George Weasley: April 1st, 1978. They began Hogwarts in 1989.  
> Michael Potter: May 8th 1979. He began Hogwarts in 1989.  
> Harry Potter: July 31st, 1980. He began Hogwarts in 1991
> 
> Yes, Lily did end up Pregnant with Harry roughly two and a half months after having Michael. I'm chalking it up to magical Pregnancies and suspense of belief because this is fanfiction.
> 
> Happy Reading Everyone!

July 31st, 1991, The Potter Cottage, Cannes, France.

Emerald Green eyes, reminiscent of rolling irish hills, gaze upon him fondly. There is love in these eyes. It shines through them so intensely he can’t help but thrash violently, a feeling of dread coursing through his thin frame. The eyes sparkle for no longer than a second more, and then it is as if there is a veil placed over them. Their vibrant, awe-inspiring, color turns a sickly dull. They’re still looking at him, and it terrifies the boy. A solitary scream pierces the air, followed by a horrifying flash of green light.

Harry bolted awake, sitting up in his bed drenched in sweat, his chest heaving as he sucked in air as if he was drowning. His hand moved to clutch at the eccentric scar on his forehead, almost doubling over from the sheer heat emanating from it. A glance to the left shows him that it’s only a little past four in the morning, as the light from his Uncle’s Luke Skywalker alarm clock shone the numbers in a bright blue. 

As the pain from his scar subsided, Harry dropped his hand back to his lap, continuing to look at the old alarm clock. Luke was posed dramatically, his arms held out, and then drawn inward against his body as if he was on the defensive. His legs looked as if he was about to lunge, one leg extended further out than normal, while the other had been posed as if the man was about to squat. He had been clothed in a tattered white tunic, with a leather satchel attached to his belt clipped around his middle. Clutched in his hands was a beautiful blue lightsaber, which doubled as a nightlight, as Harry could choose to illuminate the blade with a press of a button in front of Luke’s feet. 

The alarm clock was one of Harry’s most treasured items, as a sentimental story accompanied it. When Harry had turned seven, his Uncle Sirius had drawn him up on his lap and presented him with a beautifully wrapped box, clad in sparkling silver gift wrap. Sirius had laughed at how awe-struck Harry had been, admitting that he had asked Remus to wrap it for him, stating that “You know I’m helpless when it comes to crafts like this, Pup.” Harry took extra care not to destroy the wrapping paper, using his nails to gently cut the wrap at the seams. Sirius had laughed at him for that, ruffling his head and telling Harry his mother would have been very proud of them both, since Sirius had managed to raise such a polite and kind boy. Remus had barked out a hearty laugh at that from the kitchen, where he and Michael had been cleaning up the dinner mess. 

When he had cut the last seam, and gently folded the paper into a neat square, he was met with a plain black box, which Sirius seemed to find particularly amusing. The boy pried the lid off the box, setting it to the side, when he saw it. The alarm clock he had seen so many times when he looked over old family albums, from Christmas 1980. It had been the Potter’s last Christmas together, which had made young Harry tear up everytime he had looked at the pictures. The clock had been in nearly every photo, as Sirius hadn’t put it down for longer than a few minutes after he had gotten it. It had been a gift from Lily, who had only recently found out she was pregnant with her second child, Harry. She had announced the pregnancy that Christmas, by giving James a book titled “So Now You’re A Dad Of Two…” which had been the second installment of the series “Magical Children and You”. 

The only curious thing about the moving pictures, was that in a handful of them, maybe four or five, it was as if one person had been completely erased from existence. There was one which Harry had found particularly creepy, as it had shown a grinning Lily with her arm slung over what should have been another person, but no one was there. When Harry had asked about it, he had been told it was a story for later. ‘Later’ would not come until shortly before his tenth birthday, when he had been told by his Uncle Moony about the betrayal of Peter Pettigrew, the man who had wormed his way into his parent’s hearts and had turned their location over to his Lord and Master in an attempt to consolidate more power. The pathetic man had been apprehended by a Goblin warrior force shortly after the death of James and Lily, who had paid 2,000 Galleons to have the Goblins handle the apprehension and trial process themselves in order to bring justice in the case of betrayal. Peter had been tried in a Goblin court under the accusations of Intentional Betrayal, Child Endangerment, and as an Accomplice to Murder. The man had confessed under a dose of Veritaserum, and had been handed over to an Auror Task Force to be escorted to Azkaban, where he was to attend a 60 year sentence, followed by execution under the Dementor’s Kiss. As he had been outed as an unregistered Animagus, he was forcibly registered, and his cell had been coated in several binding spells in order to prevent the man from slipping into his alternate form. 

Harry had been particularly pleased about receiving the alarm clock, immediately asking Sirius if he would help him set it up in his bedroom, choosing to place the clock on the nightstand next to his bed, which was where it still sat to this day. Harry stared at the clock, transfixed by it. Luke Skywalker was everything he thought he had to be. Here was a man who came from what he thought was nothing, just to learn that he was so much more powerful than what he thought he was. Luke was a hero. Everyone loved him, he was their Savior, and while Harry may have been a Savior as a baby, he knew he wasn’t a very brave boy. He was timid, and soft-spoken, and had greatly relied on his older brother Michael to do all the talking for him. 

When Michael had left for Hogwarts, Harry had been absolutely devastated and had thrown himself into his studies, much to the satisfaction, but also worry, of his Uncle Moony. Sirius and Remus had never seen the boy so broken-hearted. When the neighbor boys down the road had come to play with Harry, the boy had claimed he wasn’t feeling well. Sirius and Remus had never been more grateful that the Potter Cottage had been established in a Wizarding community, since it had made explaining to parents why Harry was so upset all the easier. While Harry eventually coped with Michael leaving, he still was reluctant to talk to new people, and preferred to be near his Uncles. 

Remus had taken it upon himself, at the instruction of the boys' parents, to tutor them while they grew up, so they wouldn’t be behind their muggle peers when it came to literacy, as well as mathematics. While Michael had excelled at all things involving literature, Harry had been drawn to Mathematics. The complex equations he loved had become a friend to him. When he was six he had begged Remus to teach him all the Math he could, and absolutely delighted in learning multiplication. The concept of being able to create more out of a limited quantity fascinated him. By his tenth birthday, his Mathematical education had been on par with Muggle Year 12 students. While Michael had also done exceedingly well in his education, he had sometimes had to have his ‘baby brother’ guide him through the more complex problems. Where one brother succeeded, the other fell behind in most cases, which could be why Harry often had to ask Remus or Michael for help when it came to properly interpreting the intent behind an Author’s story. He had found it hard to be able to understand emotions that weren’t clearly printed out for him, and was often left guessing the meaning in literary works.   
Harry was disturbed from his internal musings from a soft knock on the door, seeming hesitant, and unsure. 

“You can come in.” Harry said softly, curious as to who was knocking on his door at...he looked to the clock again...almost five in the morning. 

The door opened quietly, and in from the dark hallway came Michael, who wore a rather large grin on his face as he closed the door gently behind him. 

“You know what today is, don’t you, Harry?” Michael came up to the bed, moving to sit at the foot cross legged. The soft glow of the setting moon illuminated his fiery red hair, causing it to look as if it was glowing itself. Freckles splattered on his somewhat chubby cheeks, still not having lost all of his endearing ‘baby fat’ from childhood, as well as inheriting the lovely facial structure of his mother, as Harry had also. 

Harry had actually forgotten what today was. He had been so lost in his own thoughts he hadn’t even recognized how special today was for a young Witch or Wizard. A large grin broke out on his face as he fisted the soft faded Queen shirt Remus had given to him to wear as a sleep shirt, a memento from the Man’s twenties.

“Happy Birthday Harry!” Michael leant forward and gently pulled his younger brother into his arms, giving him a tight hug, before pulling away, one hand drifting down to hold onto Harry’s left hand. 

“Merlin i’m so excited, you get to come to Hogwarts with me, and you can hang out with me and Cedric, and we’ll have the twins show you all the secret passages, and Cho said she’d help you make new friends if you’re shy and i’m just so excited Harry.” 

Michael had clutched Harry’s hand tightly during his tirade, slightly bouncing as he spoke. Michael had always been the more outgoing of the two, easily making friends wherever he went, including Cedric, The Weasley Twins, and Cho Chang, who were all in their third year with Michael. The boy had become quick friends with Cedric, as the two had sat together at the Hogwarts Opening Feast, as they had been sorted into Hufflepuff together. The two friends had later added Cho Chang to their group after they had found her hexing a fellow first year in the library for messing with her skirt. The happy trio became a group of five at the Halloween Feast, when The Weasley Twins, Fred and George, had managed to engineer a charm that would turn your hair green and purple if you drank pumpkin juice during dinner. Unfortunately, the prank had accidentally permanently dyed Cedric’s hair neon purple. The twins had felt so bad they had come to speak to the trio two days later, offering their apologies, and a box of ‘Absolutely Charm-tastic Hair Reversal Bleach’ to fix Cedric’s hair. 

When Michael had brought the group home the following summer, they had demanded Harry be added to their little group, so the group of five became a (rather reluctant on Harry’s part) group of six. They had spent a week together exploring the beaches near the Potter Cottage, and collecting pieces of sea glass to turn into little charm bracelets for one another. Soon, Harry began to feel incredibly close with his new friends, and became very excited whenever they would come to visit. During the Summer, the others would send letters to both him and Michael, which delighted Harry to no end. 

“It’s like you’re more excited than I am, Micha.” Harry giggled, and moved his free hand to turn on the lamp sitting on his nightstand. 

Michael winced at the bright light, blinking rapidly in an attempt to get his eyes to adjust. It was only in the light that Harry could see that there was a small, gift wrapped box, sitting at Michael’s side. 

“And what’s this then? Thought I told you that you didn’t need to get me anything, Micha.” Harry mocked an upset tone, reminding Michael of a tiny version of Remus.

“It’s nothing big Harry, just something I picked up last month when Cedric came over. We decided to go shopping in the village downtown.”

Michael handed his brother the box, and while it wasn't as beautifully wrapped as the box Harry had been thinking of earlier, it was still rather pretty. Michael had chosen to wrap the gift in a sparkling gold wrap, accompanied by a pale pink ribbon that had been tied on top. Harry began to gently open the box, setting aside the wrapping paper and ribbon for his assorted collection of giftwraps he had kept. While it had been a rather eccentric thing to start collecting, Harry felt naturally drawn to the sparkling gift wraps, wanting to keep them.

At last the box fell open, and inside...was another box. Michael laughed at the confused look on Harry’s face and motioned for him to continue. Harry removed the small, wooden box from the other box, and took a second to admire it. The box had obviously been hand crafted, as well as stained by hand, because no machine, or magic, could replicate the details or effort that had been placed into this small box. Along the outside were flowery, soft looking engravings of flowers, which Harry ran his fingers along gently. The wood had been stained a dark oak, which was one of Harry’s favorite accent colors. When he gently pulled the hinge lid up, a beautiful song began to play, as a small wooden owl, that had been enchanted, took flight around the box in lazy circles. 

“It’s a nesting owl. Well, a wooden one at least. I had it commissioned for you, since I know you want an owl of your own. Granted, Moony and Dadfoot will probably get you an owl when we go shopping for School, but I thought you might like this one as well. The piece it’s playing is the first minute of ‘La Cathédrale Engloutie’ by Debussy. It reminds me of you.”

Michael seemed nervous as he waited for Harry’s judgement on the gift. It wasn’t rather spectacular, or flashy, and would most definitely be shown up by whatever extravagant and awful gift the twins would give Harry later, but Michael still thought he had done rather well. It wasn’t until he looked closely at Harry’s eyes that he noticed his younger brother was crying.

“Harry? Are you okay? I’m so sorry, if you hate it you can just ignore it-”

Michael was cut off by Harry flinging himself into his arms, laughing rather snottily as he tried to wipe away his tears.

“It’s perfect Micha, you’re so thoughtful. I love it to pieces, it’s definitely coming with us to Hogwarts.”

Michael grinned, and cuffed Harry’s head, laughing with his brother. After a moment, he pulled away, and looked at Harry fondly.

“I vote we go back to sleep now, the gang will be here at eleven today, and we’ll need to be well rested to deal with the chaos of the twins.”

Harry nodded his agreement, and set the box down next to his alarm clock, allowing the owl to return to it’s home and become comfortable before he closed the lid. Michael stood up from Harry’s bed, smoothing down his pajama top as he moved towards Harry’s end of the bed, helping his brother get settled under the blankets.

“Night, Harry.”

“Night, Michael.”

Michael turned off the lamp and went back out the door, returning to his own room to get settled for the rest of the night. 

Noon, Later That Day, Same Occasion.

Michael had been absolutely right in his statement that Harry would need more sleep to deal with the twins. It had begun right at eleven, Cho and Cedric having been ten minutes early were sitting with Sirius on the couch and chatting about their chosen electives for the school year. Cho was in the middle of talking about a creative writing course she was rather excited about, when the door opened grandly, drawing everyone’s attention.

“HAPPY-”  
“BIRTHDAY-  
“HARRY!!” 

The twins had cut eachother off again while speaking, but had reunited to scream ‘Harry’ together. Harry stood in front of the door, jaw hanging open, at the sheer volume of the outburst. Sirius was suppressing a laugh, fondly remembering a time he and James had done the same thing to Remus over a decade ago.

“We’re so glad to see you Harry-”  
“Mum took forever getting ickle Ginny-kins to eat breakfast so we were so scared we’d be late-”  
“But you can’t start a REAL party without me, Forge!-  
“No, I'm Forge.”

Fred turned to George, a ‘mean’ look on his face, as George huffed indignantly, and continued their tirade.

“What do you mean YOU’RE Forge? Everyone knows that I’M the real Forge, Right Harry-”  
“No, Harry! I’m Forge! You wouldn’t forget who your friends are, would you?”

Fred began to pout, clasping his hands in front of him like a small child begging for candy, as George began to mimic him. Remus walked into the living room at that time, and sighed exasperatedly, all too used to dealing with the twins’ antics.

“Hullo, Fred. Hullo, George. Close the door, would you?” Remus continued on towards the kitchen, where he had been cooking for the last hour.

“Yes Sir, Mr.Lupin, Sir!” The boys exclaimed together, doing a mock salute before turning and closing the door together.

Fred and George moved further into the living room, making a beeline to Harry, who was sitting in an armchair that had belonged to Remus before the family had moved to the Potter estate. The twins perched on each side of the chair, almost smothering Harry with a joint bone-crushing hug.

“Thanks, Guys.” Harry laughed, attempting to fix his hair from where the twins had messed it up spectacularly.

“When are you wanting to do presents, Harry?” Cedric asked from his spot next to Michael on the couch. Cedric was wearing a rather pretty cream turtleneck sweater that Harry had given to him last Christmas, and had pulled his legs up to sit crossed legged.

“I think Remy said something about doing them after lunch.”

“Very observant, Harry.” Remus emerged from the kitchen at that time, dusting his hands off on a small apron tied about his waist. “If you’d all like to go wash your hands, Lunch will be ready in about ten. Sirius, would you mind helping me untie this?”  
Sirius moved up from the couch, grinning at Remus before moving to stand behind him, untying the tight knot that had formed when Remus had tied the apron around his waist earlier. 

Cho was the first to sit down, pulling a napkin over her lap to guard her knee length black skirt from any stains. She was also wearing a dark blue long sleeved shirt, and had to roll the sleeves up to make sure they would also stay safe. While she wasn’t particularly clumsy in any way, she preferred to be proactive.

Cedric sat down to her right, bending over in his seat to retie his dark brown leather boots, which ended midway up his calf. They had been a gift for Christmas last year, and he wore them all the time. His dark chestnut hair looked windswept, and he moved a hand up to move a piece away from his forehead as he sat back up.

Sirius and Remus sat on opposite ends of the table, both wearing vaguely similar outfits, although Remus looked much neater and well put together. They had both opted to wear a band t-shirt, Sirius choosing to steal one of Remus’ Queen shirts, while Remus wore a Bon Jovi shirt. 

The twins, as well as Harry came next, Fred and George wearing Gryffindor class t-shirts as well as dark jeans. Harry had chosen to go casual for the day, as he was surrounded by friends and family, and was wearing a nice pair of Khaki shorts and a long sleeve plain green shirt.

Michael came last, wiping his wet hands on his dark jeans, much to Remus’ disappointment. The teen was wearing a sweater similar to Cedirc’s, though Michael’s was a silver colour.

Once the group was sat down, Sirius began the process of handing dishes down, forming an assembly line of sorts.

“So Harry, what house do you think you’ll be sorted in?” Cho asked, as she put a portion of fresh picked green beans on her plate, before passing the bowl to Cedric.

“I’m not quite sure, My parents were both Gryffindors, but we know where that got Michael.” Everyone laughed at that, including Michael, who had always thought it was rather funny he had been sorted into Hufflepuff.

“You’d make a good fit in Ravenclaw Harry!-”  
“Yeah, you’re wicked smart!”

The twins took some delicious smelling barbequed chicken for themselves, then passing the bowl to Michael.

“I think anything would be better than Gryffindor for you pup, you’re so shy they would all scare you. But there’s nothing wrong with that.” Sirius chimed in, leaning to his left to place a kiss on the top of Harry’s head.  
The group finished lunch a half hour later, making small talk with each other, the teens becoming more and more excited about the prospect of presents. Finally, Remus had mercy on the group, and ushered them back into the living room, casting a charm to have the leftovers package themselves up.

“Who’s gift do you want to open first, Harry?” Cedric asked, beaming at his young friend.

“I’m not really picky, we can go in whatever order you’d all like.” Harry replied, so it came as no surprise that the twins immediately jumped up and snatched their present for Harry, setting a plain, brown gift box in his lap.

Harry grinned, and pulled the lid off the box, before letting out a small yelp of excitement. Inside the box was an assortment of sugar quills, which was one of Harry’s favorite treats. There were six different flavors inside, including one Harry had never tried, ‘Tangtastic Tangerine’.

“They had a massive sale on those quills in Diagon-”  
“At that rather spectacular candy shop we all went to-”  
“And we figured you might like a whole box!” The twins finished their sentiment together, grinning ear to ear at the delighted expression on Harry’s face.

“It’s brilliant! I haven’t had this tangerine one yet, I'm really excited for that one. Thanks guys!”

“Here, open mine next!” Cho passed him a black gift bag, with sparkly tulle spilling out the top. 

Harry gently pushed the tulle to the side, revealing a self organizing & never ending notebook he would be able to take to his classes with him.

“The cashier at the bookstore said it would organize based on the content, or you could ask it to organize itself alphabetically. Oh! Tap the cover!”

Harry tapped the cover, and a snitch appeared on the notebook, flying in quick circles on the cover around his finger.

“I charmed it so you would have a little note buddy! He’ll fly around your notes and look at things he thinks are interesting.”

“This is fantastic Cho! It’s gonna be perfect for school this year!” Harry got up from his seat and hugged the older girl, immensely grateful for her thoughtfulness.

“It’s no problem Harry, I know you like to stay organized.” She grinned, and smoothed out the shoulder of his shirt, which had gotten bunched up when he hugged her. 

“That just leaves me then, doesn’t it?”  
Harry turned around to see Cedric holding a forest green gift box in his lap, and went to sit down next to him, taking the gift box gently when Cedric handed it to him. He took the lid off, and looked inside, to see a rather large, black, leather bound book. Pulling it out, he realized it was a photo album that Cedric had filled. On the first page were pics of Harry and Michael at the beach last month, attempting to build a sand snowman, and giggling madly. All the pictures were moving, which entranced Harry. He was looking in on his life from the outside, and he thought it was absolutely amazing. There were about ten pages of roughly thirty pictures in total, all of Harry and his friends.

“As you can see, the rest is blank. It’s for us all to fill in together while we’re at Hogwarts, and in case we make any new friends.”

Harry turned towards Cedric and gave him a tight hug, attempting to hide the tears in his eyes. He wasn’t sad, or upset, but the fact that Cedric had given him such a thoughtful gift had caused him to tear up a little. Harry was immensely grateful for his friends, and cared about each one of them deeply. They had all become extended members of his little family, and he adored each of them. Harry pulled away after a moment, clutching the book to his chest.

“You guys are all too nice. Thank you for the wonderful presents.”

The teens swarmed the boy, and gave him a suffocating group hug, which might have killed him if he hadn’t been so spectacularly happy to be surrounded by the people he loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are my lifeblood, feel free to leave one :) This chapter ended with 4,273 words, effectively doubling my fic in word count! Hope you all enjoyed! Next chapter will include some shopping.... and maybe a certain castle.


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